Sell your own home or hire a broker

Consider these 4 factors: knowledge, time, motivation and potential savings. Approximately one third of home sales are done without a broker. If you're selling your own home, there are a lot agencies and websites to tell you how to go about it and what documents you'll need to sell it on your own.

Show your home in the best possible light

Highlight your home's strong points by following a few basic home staging guidelines: streamline and depersonalize the décor, spruce up both the inside and outside. Ask a professional for advice. Some renovations are worth it and give you justification for increasing your asking price.

Set a fair sale price

The realtor can help you set the price for your property by looking at your neighbourhood, the features of your property and comparables. If you intend to sell it on your own, contact a chartered appraiser, an objective professional who could set a fair price.

Know your rights and obligations

Find out what the obligations are of all the parties involved (seller, buyer and realtor): compliance of the property, seller obligations, form and documents required for the offer to purchase. You can find all the information you need on the websites of organizations like Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ), Éducaloi, Québec Federation of Real Estate Boards or CAA Québec. Your notary or lawyer is also a key source of information.

Know the selling costs

Calculate how much it will cost you to sell your property:

• Realtor commission
• Chartered appraiser fees
• Mortgage prepayment penalty, if applicable
• Mortgage discharge fees
• Certificate of location

Meet with your financial advisor

Your advisor can help you through the process of paying off your mortgage and, if applicable, the prepayment charges. You may need bridge financing to cover the period between buying your new property and selling you current one, or you may want to keep the conditions of your mortgage.

See also:

• Pay off your mortgage

• Move before the end of your mortgage term.

1. Meet with your advisor
   Consider the implications of prepaying your current mortgage and your future mortgage needs.
2. Meet with your tax specialist
   Find out how to declare your sale on your income tax return.
3. Set a fair price
4. Decide whether or not to work with a realtor
5. Fill out the form "Declarations by the seller of the immovable"
   You have to fill out and sign this form to protect yourself. It's where you declare the condition of your property, which minimizes the risk of legal action against you by future owners. The form also helps potential homebuyers make informed decisions.
6. Get an Offer to Purchase
   The Offer to Purchase includes the following information:
   • The offered price
   • Inclusions and exclusions
   • Expiry date of the offer

   The Offer to Purchase is often conditional upon:

   • a home inspection by a professional home or building inspector
   • possession date
   • temporary occupancy
   • mortgage approval
7. Accept the offer or make a counter-offer
   If you're not comfortable with some conditions in the Offer to Purchase, you can sign a refusal and make a counter-offer which may or may not include a different sale price.
8. Insure your new home
   To protect your property and goods.
9. Transfer ownership
   Once the Offer to Purchase or counter-offer is accepted and all conditions are met, you can make the transaction official at the notary (or lawyer's office in Ontario) by signing the Deed of Sale.
10. Let your caisse advisor know
    So they'll be aware of the terms of the sale.